Sunday, January 11

Mini Banana Bundt Cakes with Sticky Maple Walnut Glaze

This was going to be a post about how to use up your ripe bananas. But it turned out to be a treatise in post-Kenysian economics. Much more interesting.

Food prices are high. I paid 99 cents for a dozen of eggs last year; the same eggs are $2.29 today. A 5-pound bag of flour that used to be $2 is now closer to $5. And good luck finding a carton of orange juice or a loaf of good, crusty Italian bread for under $5.

Having lived with these price increases for the last year or so, I'm no longer shocked at the price of most things at the market. Until last week. There it was, right at eye level. I squinted. I checked to see if it was for 1 or perhaps they meant for a whole case of it.

Maple syrup: $17.99.

"You gotta be kidding me," I muttered not very softly to myself, "Are they nuts? I mean, this is Trader Joe's. Who's gonna break a 20 for maple syrup at Trader Joe's?"

Thinking I would outsmart the forces of economics, I went to Costco. They had imitation maple syrup (in large quantities) for $14. Imitation maple syrup? Uh, don't think so. I mean, I'm Susan of Food Blogga. No imitation-maple-syrup for my readers. I gotta have the real thing.

I went to a local market that I sometimes hit for that hard-to-get items. I ended up paying $14 for a 12.5 oz. bottle, but Ha!, I gave my money to the little guy. Strutting off happy with my antidisestabolishmentarianism self, and having spent more money on gas and maple syrup than I ever wanted to, I was ready to bake.

It was all worth it after one bite of these Mini Banana Bundt Cakes with Sticky Maple Walnut Glaze. (See I told you, this was supposed to be about bananas.) Moist, aromatic mini banana cakes become irresistible when drizzled with a sweet and gooey maple walnut glaze.

Oh, and don't expect things to get better this year; food prices are projected to rise 7% in 2009.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and beat at medium speed for a couple of minutes. Add eggs and beat well. Add the vanilla, milk, and maple syrup; beat until batter is silky. Lower the speed; add the bananas and beat briefly.

Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients, and mix until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the raisins and walnuts. Divide the batter evenly among the 24 molds.

Bake for 25-30 minutes rotating pans mid-way through. Cakes should be deep golden brown, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack for 3-5 minutes. Then flips the pans upside down and place cakes on a cooling rack. Cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze, in a small pan over medium-low heat, melt butter and maple syrup; add heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Pour into a small metal bowl. Add confectioners' sugar, and whisk vigorously until smooth. If necessary, pour glaze through a fine mesh sieve to remove any tiny clumps of sugar. Let glaze rest for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. For easy clean-up, place a piece of parchment paper underneath the cooling rack. Drizzle glaze evenly over cakes, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Cool completely before serving.

Coming soon to a Food Blogga near you:
Since I always have lots of ripe bananas to use up, I'm going to turn this into a 4-part series. Each week for the next four weeks, I'll post a recipe for using up ripe bananas. And let's just say cookies, muffins and breads are involved.

Thankfully, prices in the midwest are still fairly low compared to the coasts. And since I pilfered my mother's old, unused mini-bundt pan this past Christmas, thanks for giving me my first recipe to try with it.

Oooh - we have some (too) quickly ripening bananas that might be just perfect for this, as a good alternative to my normally healthy banana bread (who needs new year's resolutions anyway!)... though splurging for maple syrup for me will be a challenge... just maybe I have a 1/4 cup lurking around here somewhere instead.

Oh how funny, I was just having a little chat with my cashier lady at our local grocery store about how everything seems so expensive. So, how much are you going to charge for your cute cakes? LOL!Look delicious Susan.Cheers,Elra

I was discussing the price of coffee with my husband last night and when i went to the supermarket this morning realised that the tin of Illy we used to have 3 years ago (when it was around £3 for 250g) is now £5.29! That's a whopping increase!!! I am glad now I stick to my small Italian supplier where I pay £10 for a kilo and, as you say, it benefits the small guy!as for maple syrup, the selection over here is really not that great - the last one I bought (organic) also went mouldy after a few weeks, so I haven't bought any since - but I would LOVE to try those banana-recycling bundt cakes for sure!

Bananas "used to be" cheap here in St. Louis, at least if you bought big bags of slightly ripe bananas -- cheap AND a head start on the ripening process, since banana skins really should be completely dark before we think of them as "very ripe". Your cakes look lovely: they also explain why so many are doing without.

Yeah same here. Now a days every time i go for my groccery shoping i get a shock when i see the bill.Once or twice i was so shocked to see the end bill i thought the woman in the counter must have made a mistakeDelicious budnt cake.

It's been going up pretty steadily here too, milk in particular. Once a week I'll take a trip to a local farm for fruits, veggies and eggs. Certain food items are now on the backburner. The cakes look wonderful and I know you will find great uses for it!

Maybe instead of complaining, you could use this opportunity to talk about how we actually pay too LITTLE for food and how most of that money ends up going to distributors, transporters and packagers, which is slowly bankrupting our farmers... and maybe also a little about how bananas have to travel halfway around the globe in a refrigerated airplane, after being paid an unfair price for, to get to your grocery cart for $0.99/lb. Maybe they might seem like a better deal then.

alanna-Yeah, my mom was saying in RI, that they have really risen. too.

veron-Everything is more expensive in CA.

happycook-I know how you feel! Seriously.

helen-I prefer local farmers' markets for produce too. It's fresher, healthier, and it supports the local economy. Yay for eating locally!

nic-Thank you so much, my dear!

ashley-Yeah, it is fun to say I have eaten a whole cake. ;)

grace-I have that effect on people. I kid. I kid too. :)

hillary- Thank you for your response about the bananas; however, I never mentioned the price of bananas. I am well aware of the causes and implications of rising food prices around the globe. My blog is a platform to present topics and thoughts of my choice. This post was written intentionally with a humorous tone not a didactic one.

Yes, food prices are sticking us in the wallet too! Here in LA, the cost of shopping can really break your bank, but there are a lot of ways to get around it if you can buy in bulk, go discount shopping, or hit up the ethnic markets. The craft cook has to always find a way!

Your banana cake sounds sooo good! I live in Va and food here has gone up but it doesn't sound quite as bad as where you are. But still high also. I'm making a banana cake as I'm writing this that is baked at 275 F for 1 hour and then goes in the freezer for 45 minutes....Sounds crazy but it has gotten great reviews..I'll let you know how it turns out.

Some items are worth the money and pure maple syrup is one of those. I like to buy it from my local market, too, even though it costs a bit more than Costco or Trader Joe. The bananna cakes are darling...I can taste them with that sticky walnut glaze...mmmm.

My gawd, maple syrup is $18?? When did that happen? I admit I don't buy it often, as I prefer a sprinkling of confectioner's sugar on my waffles and pancakes. (A tradition from childhood). But I do like to bake with maple syrup. Good thing a little usually goes a long way.

I'm pretty sure 8 oz. of maple syrup is still under $4 at the discount grocer near my house, and if it is, I'm going to stock up--$14 for 12.5 oz. is madness.

As for a loaf of crusty bread, that doesn't cost any more than 3 cups of flour, a teaspoon of yeast, a little salt and water. You just have to do it yourself. (See, NY Times No-Knead). Even at $5 for 5 lbs. of flour, its a bargain. And at BJ's I can get 10 lbs of King Arthur for a bit over $6. Actually, though, I usually get 5# of bread flour for between $3 and $5, depending on whether its Gold Medal or King Arthur--and as pro-King Arthur as I am, I really don't think you can taste test the difference in the bread. Though, to be fair, I only make one loaf at a time, and have never tried.

And one more thing. I can never think of maple syrup without remembering the maple syrup that my college roommate's dad made out in their back yard, of syrup from the tree in their front yard. He cooked it over a wood fire and it tasted of smoke. One of the best things I've ever eaten; something I may never have again.

My roommate's parents gave up the old house a few year's back, and in what must be the horticultural crime of the century, the new owners chopped down the sugar maple.

Susan, WTH???? There must have been a problem with the signage at TJs. I just paid $7.99 for organic grade B maple syrup. I have the receipt to prove it! (I had to go check because I have a bad habit of buying things without double checking the prices, you almost gave me a heart attack) Go back and complain.

Yep, that was me 2 weeks ago at Trader Joe's, with my husband as we both, not so quietly exclaimed, How much!? I have been rationing and buying the smaller bottles (it is $5.99 for a bottle (I want to say 15 ounces) of the real stuff at Fresh & Easy in the southwest) to get buy until this "maple syrup shortage" subsides.

kristen-That is so sweet of you to say. $15? Maybe I should start selling them. Then I could afford more maple syrup.

helene-I have enjoyed every bite. And have spent longer times at the gym too! ;)

carolyn-Just within the last several months. I was shocked too. Maybe I should adopt your childhood tradition instead. :)

agathx-Thanks so much for sharing the prices of the ingredients with me. I do make most things from scratch, but,honestly, sometimes I just like the convenience of grabbing a loaf of bread to eat within a couple of hours. I will be baking more though.

agathax-I love when a post elicits nostalgia. Thanks for sharing that delicious memory. I can understand why it's so special to you.

mimi-There was no Grade B at my market, only A, which may explain the discrepancy. Of course, I'm really hoping that the sign was incorrectly written and was supposed to be $7.99 not $17.99. I'll have to ask the manager next time I go. Thanks!

jude-No can do, my friend. ;)

marie-You're the second person to say it's $7.99. Please let it be that my market made a mistake by adding a "1" in front of the 7. I'll have to check. Thank you so much for the offer, but I'm good. You are sweeter than maple syrup. :)

alisa-So someone else did see the exorbitant price. Whew! I thought I was needing a new prescription there for a minute. I haven't been to Fresh and Easy, but I know they opened one in SD recently. I'll have to check it out.

Ouch. OUCH. The maple syrup price is comparable to the one in Manila-- and that's after shipping, taxes, and store inflation! Amazing. The worst is the eggs, though. Ours are still a little over $1 for a dozen. $2.30 is just highway robbery. Those chickens better be the happiest ones on earth.Sigh... I need one of these cakes to cheer me up! ;)

My jaw dropped, actually DROPPED, when I saw this. I've never seen such expensive maple syrup, I would go nuts! Having said that, those cakes look like they are absolutely worth the purchase of that syrup. So moist and sticky, beautiful! :)

I love the mini cakes! I'll get one of those pans at some point. I just bought syrup myself and it just hurt! I know this is wrong, but I've been buying the cheap store brand fake syrup and mixing it with the real Vermont maple syrup to make it last longer. *sigh*

I just bought a 32oz jug of Grade A maple syrup last Friday, January 16th at the Tacoma, WA Trader Joe's. I stood in disbelief in front of the shelf for several minutes.Could the $17.99 really be correct??Didn't I only pay $7.99 last time at Trader Joe's?I felt like an idiot as I put the jug in my cart...but we do LOVE our real maple syrup in this house!

So, after just reading your post...I dug my TJ's receipt out of the paper recycling bag...and called Trader Joe's! Yep, the price is correct. The guy said the price jump reflects the problems with supply and also gas prices. (see above link) I've also read that certain cleansing diets have increased the demand of maple syrup so much, that farms are having a hard time keeping up.Damn the diets I say!!! LOL ;o)

connie-I am so relieved to hear someone else saw that it was $17.99. I thought I was losing it or that it was just my market. Thanks for the info. too. I'm glad to have a fuller understanding of the causes of the price increase.

I won't let a fresh banana cross my lips... but show me a banana baked item and I'm yours! I've made banana muffins twice in a couple of months and really should do it more often.

As for the food prices - it's truly scary. And one of the scariest things is that just as it started looking as if real steps had been made in persuading people to buy free range and organic and vote with their feet, the price of food shot up. And in a decision between feeding your family or paying attention to the ethics of food production, I know the way that the majority of people are going to vote. Depressing... especially if you are a chicken or a pig!